Demographic shift in Assam, Bengal a ‘ticking time bomb’, warns Tamil Nadu Governor

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi has raised alarm over the demographic changes occurring in parts of India, particularly in Assam and West Bengal, calling it a “ticking time bomb” that demands urgent national attention and durable solutions. 

His remarks came while addressing students and faculty at the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in Gandhinagar during the commencement of the academic year 2025–2026.

Expressing deep concern over what he termed internal threats, Governor Ravi highlighted that while India has historically managed to repel external aggressions, internal implosions have had far-reaching consequences. Referring to the 1947 Partition, he said, “People following an ideology announced they didn’t want to live with the rest of us. This ideology broke our nation.”

Ravi pointed specifically to demographic changes in Assam, West Bengal, and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar over the past three to four decades. “Can anyone predict today that in the coming 50 years, work for partitioning the nation will not happen in these areas?” he asked.

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He urged the country to engage in a serious and sensitive discourse on demographic shifts, warning, “This issue is like a ticking time bomb. We must think about how we deal with this in the future and begin finding solutions today itself.”

The Governor also criticized India's post-independence approach to handling internal issues, stating that the Soviet Union might not have collapsed in 1991 had it been able to manage its internal challenges effectively. He argued that India’s military strength alone is not sufficient to counter demographic or ideological divisions, stressing the need for unity in culture and language.

Touching upon recent controversies over language politics, Ravi remarked that bitterness over language, particularly in states like Maharashtra and Karnataka, is not aligned with India’s ethos. “Those advocating states based on linguistic identity call it linguistic nationalism,” he noted, warning that such trends could sow further discord.

He emphasized the importance of national unity over linguistic differences and called for Indian languages to be treated with equal dignity and respect. Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stance on promoting Indian languages in governance and education, Ravi added, “Work should be imparted in local languages in each state.”

Ravi concluded by reiterating that while India has managed external challenges with strength, the internal ideological divide remains the gravest threat. “We need to work on unity, not allow bitterness among ourselves in the name of language or religion,” he said.